Fence tool

ABSTRACT

A two piece tool for joining the ends of two wires together includes first tool member which has two openings into which the ends of two wires are inserted. A second tool member has an opening in one end into which both ends of the two wires are inserted. The two parts are rotated, or at least one part is rotated, to twist the ends of the two wires together. If both parts are rotated, they are rotated in opposite directions to twist the ends of the two wires together.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to fence tools, and more particularly to a toolfor splicing and repairing fence wires.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The background of the invention is shown in the following patents. Thesepatents are distinct from the invention and are described to show theprior art and the distinctness of the invention from this prior art.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,393,905 defines a wire splicing tool. The tool comprisesan elongated, rigid frame, including a pair of outwardly diverginghandle ends. A rigid, integral, tubular frame center receives the shankof a rotatable member for controlling wire splicing. The control memberincludes an external, wire contacting head which forcibly coils wireends in response to tool rotation. The control shank includes anelongated, wire receptive groove. When the groove is aligned with a slotdefined in frame center, capture (or release) of a first wire segment isfacilitated. With the first wire captured, the tool may be rotated tocoil an end of a second wire about the first.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,057,221 is for a tool for stretching the individual wirestrands of a fence from a slack into a taut condition. The tool is leftattached to the tightened wire and can subsequently be employed tofurther tighten or loosen the wire. The tool has a plurality of slotsarranged thereon which engage spaced marginal lengths of the wire. A setof spaced tabs are used to secure the tool to the wire to preventinadvertent unwinding. A removable handle is provided by which the toolis engaged and manipulated in a manner to fold a length of wire betweenthe slots thereof and back upon itself, and thereafter a pair of spacedtabs engage spaced marginal lengths of the wire to prevent the tool fromunwinding from the bent-up wire.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,830,065 defines a wire splicing tool for splicingtogether the ends of single or multiple strand wires, such as the wireused for fence lines, includes a pair of tool members adapted to be setin an interlocked position capturing a straight portion at the end of afirst wire extending along a fence line and holding a turned portion atthe end of a second wire extending along the fence line for winding thesecond wire turned portion around the first wire straight portion toeffect a splicing action between the two wires

U.S. Pat. No. 5,605,181 defines a Handheld wire twisting apparatus canbe readily applied to a working section of an elongated electricalharness to be twisted, operated to impart twist to the desired extent,then removed after the twist has been secured in the harness. Itincludes a housing with an integral handle. An internal cylindricalbearing surface defines a transverse axis and includes an inlet into abearing cavity which is a hiatus in the bearing surface. A c-shapedcylindrical wire twisting head is journaled on the cylindrical bearingsurface for rotation about the transverse axis and defines a transversepassageway for reception of a wire bundle to be twisted. The wiretwisting head has a peripheral gap for reception of the wire bundle intothe transverse passageway when the peripheral gap is coextensive withthe inlet in the housing. A gear train is rotatably mounted betweenopposed plate members comprising the housing for rotating the head,selectively, in first and second directions about the transverse axisand a ratchet mechanism selectively preventing rotation of the head inthe first and second directions. The wire twisting head includes ac-shaped cylindrical drive wheel, a c-shaped cylindrical socket memberhaving a peripheral opening and adapted for releasable attachment to thedrive wheel, and a diametrically extending wire engagement member fixedto the socket member and projecting toward the peripheral opening.Mutually engageable key means on the socket member and on the drivewheel releasably attaches the socket member to the drive wheel.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,752,551 is a single part hand-held tool wire twisterincluding an upper portion having a handle engageable by an operator forimparting a twisting action to the wire twister. A lower portion has awire strand engaging head that is coupled to the handle by an extensionshaft. The wire strand engaging head flares outward from the extensionshaft so that a perimeter of the head is greater that a perimeter of theshaft so that the head establishes a wire engaging portion of the wiretwister. The wire engaging portion has at least two wire receivingchannels cut thereinto for engaging at least two wire strands to beconnectively intertwined by rotational motion of the wire twister; eachchannel engaging one or more wires. Each of the channels extends from anopening at the perimeter of the head toward a center of the head.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The fence tool of the present invention is used for installing newfences and repairing existing fences. The tool is a two part tool. Afirst part has two openings into which the ends of two wires areinserted. A second part has an opening in one end into which both endsof the two wires are inserted. The two parts are rotated, or at leastone part is rotated, to twist the ends of the two wires together. Ifboth parts are rotated, they are rotated in opposite directions to twistthe ends of the two wires together.

The openings in the ends of the parts are first may be tapered to allowthe wires to move into an elongated slot which holds the wires andprevent them from moving or slipping during the twisting of the twowires together.

The technical advance represented by the invention as well as theobjects thereof will become apparent from the following description of apreferred embodiment of the invention when considered in conjunctionwith the accompanying drawings, and the novel features set forth in theappended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows an isometric view of one of the fence tool part;

FIG. 2 shows an isometric view another of the fence tool part;

FIG. 3 shows a front view of the fence tool part of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an end view of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a front view of the tool part of FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is an side view of the tool part of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 shows the tool of the invention with two wire ends inserted inthe openings in the tools;

FIG. 8 shows two tool splicing tow wire ends with a third piece of wire;and

FIG. 9 is an isometric view shown another embodiment of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

FIG. 1 shows an isometric view of one part of the fence tool. Tool 10includes two wire holders 12 and 13. Wire holders 12 and 13 are joinedtogether and separated by a base or handle 11. Wire holders 12 and 13each have an opening 14 and 16, respectively, in an end that extends toslots 15 and 17, respectively, which hold wire ends during the splicingprocess. When two pieces of wire are to be spliced together, the twowires are inserted into slots 15 and 17 through the tapered openings 14and 16.

Side view of tool 10 is shown in FIG. 3, and an end view is shown inFIG. 4. The configuration of tool 10 shown in FIGS. 1, 3 and 4 are giveby way of example. The exact shape is not critical as long as the wiresto be joined are held at spaced apart positions.

FIG. 2 shows the second part of the fence tool. Tool 20 is similar to aside of tool 10. Tool 20 has a handle 21 that has a tapered opening 22in one end that extends to slot 23. FIGS. 5 and 6 show side and endviews of part 20. In splicing wires, tool 20 is placed between the parts12 and 13 of tool 10, and the two wires to be joined are place in slot23. To splice the wires, tool 20 is rotated with respect to tool 10,twisting the two ends of the wires together

FIG. 7 shows the tool of the invention with two wire ends inserted inthe openings in the tools. Tool 10 has two wires 31 and 32, each ofwhich is placed in the slots 15 and 17. Tool 20 is placed between thetwo parts 12 and 13 of tool 10 and placed so that the two wires to bespliced together are in slot 23. Tool 20 is then rotated to twist wires31 and 32 together.

FIG. 7 shows the basic placement when two ends of two wire are to befastened together. However, if there is, for example, a break in a fencewire, the two ends of the broken wire may not be extendable to lap overeach other as illustrated in FIG. 7. In this situation, a third piece ofwire is need to repair the broken wire. FIG. 8 shows the splicing of twowires with a third piece of wire. Only one repair tool is need. Firstthe end of wire 31 and splice wire 33 are placed in tools 10 a and 20 a,and twisted to join wires 31 and 33 together. Next, the end of wire 32,and the opposite end (opposite from that jointed to wire 31) of wire 33are placed in tools 10 b and 20 b. The ends are twisted together to jointhem together. FIG. 9 shows the resulting splice joining wires 31 and 32together.

FIG. 10 shows another embodiment of the fence tool. This embodiment isto illustrate that the exact shape of the tool is not relevant as longas the two tools can interact to twist the ends of wire together. InFIG. 10, tool 40 includes a bottom portion 45 that to part 41 which hasthe tapered opening 48 and wire slot 49. Part 44 extends upward to part42 that has tapered opening 50 and wire slot 51.

Tool 60 has a bottom portion 61 that is connected to a vertical part 62that has tapered slot 63 and wire slot 64. Wires 54 and 55 are placed inwire slots 49, 64 and 51, and tool 60 is rotated around the wi shows thetool of the invention with two wire ends inserted in the openings in thetools re 54 and 55, as shown by arrow 70.

The shape of part 40 can be U-shaped or some other configuration s longas the wire slots 49 and 51 are spaced apart and generally parallel sothat the wires can extend through the slots 49 and 51.

1. A two piece wire joining tool, comprising: a first tool membercomprising a pair of members attached together in a spaced-apartrelation; a pair of wire slots, one each in the pair of members; and asecond tool member, said second tool member having a wire slot in oneend.
 2. The wire joining tool according to claim 1, including taperedsides extending to the slots in each of said first and second toolmembers.
 3. The wire joining tool according to claim 1, wherein saidfirst tool member is generally U-shaped.
 4. The wire joining toolaccording to claim 1, wherein said wire slots in said first and secondtool members are of a length to accept at least two wires, onepositioned above the other.
 5. The wire joining tool according to claim1, wherein said first tool member is U-shaped.
 6. A two piece wirejoining tool, comprising: a first U-shaped tool member comprising a pairof members attached together in a spaced-apart relation; a pair of wireslots, one each in the pair of members; and a second tool member, saidsecond tool member having a wire slot in one end.
 7. The wire joiningtool according to claim 6, including tapered sides extending to theslots in each of said first and second tool members.
 8. The wire joiningtool according to claim 6, wherein said first tool member is generallyU-shaped.
 9. The wire joining tool according to claim 6, wherein saidwire slots in said first and second tool members are of a length toaccept at least two wires, one positioned above the other.
 10. The wirejoining tool according to claim 6, wherein said U-shaped first toolmember is of a length to allow the second tool member to rotate withinthe first tool member.